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Fort Smith beats out Whitehorse for TSN glory Town claims Kraft Celebration Tour victory through whopping 253,00 online votes
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 15, 2013
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
As it turns out, the vote wasn't even close as Fort Smith became the first of 10 winning communities in a high-profile national contest. Fort Smith claimed victory with a whopping 253,022 votes, while Whitehorse amassed 35,566 votes.
On July 8, Daryl Grundy voted online numerous times for Fort Smith in the Kraft Celebration Tour contest. Grundy and other residents gathered at a computer lab at Aurora College. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo
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The South Slave community was pitted head-to-head against Whitehorse in an online vote to see who would win $25,000 and the right to host a live broadcast of the show SportsCentre on TSN (The Sports Network). The Yukon Curling Association was hoping to win the money for a half-dozen clubs – five in the Yukon and one in northwestern B.C.
About 75 people gathered at the Royal Canadian Legion in Fort Smith to hear the announcement of the winning community during the SportsCentre broadcast on the afternoon of July 9.
Pam Walsh, who nominated Fort Smith for the contest, said there was a nervous and anxious feeling in the room before the announcement.
"It all worked out," she said. "They announced it, and the room went up in a roar of cheers."
The money will be used to help the town respond to a May 13 fire that closed Centennial Arena after causing an estimated $1.6 million in damages.
Fort Smith is considering an outdoor rink for next winter, but there is still hope the arena ice surface may be usable while building repairs are underway. The $25,000 prize would help purchase portable units for dressing rooms.
The community will host SportsCentre, featuring anchors Darren Dutchyshen and Jennifer Hedger, on Aug. 16.
"Dutchy and I are so pumped to visit the Northwest Territories this summer and meet the good people of Fort Smith," Hedger said in a news release "We can't wait to roll into town and host SportsCentre against the beautiful backdrop of Fort Smith. It'll be a great time and an unforgettable experience."
Kraft Canada also welcomed Fort Smith as a winner, stating the company was moved by the community’s nomination and its “resolve to rally together and rebuild” the arena.
"We're proud to help Fort Smith move forward and get their community back on the ice so that they can continue to be active in the sports they love,”said Jack Hewitt, vice-president of marketing insights and services with Kraft Canada, in a news release.
The overwhelming vote in favour of Fort Smith could be largely attributed to a community effort to get residents online, including making computers available at Aurora College and at the Fort Smith Rec Centre. Under the rules of the contest, people could vote an unlimited number of times during a 24-hour period which began at 10 a.m. on July 8.
At Aurora College on July 8, Daryl Grundy spent some time voting over and over again. She voted at home as well.
Grundy said it would be important for Fort Smith to win the $25,000, adding if this money helps get the arena back in operatino, it would benefit everyone in the community.
"I'm on the justice committee and I see what happens to young people when they don't have activities," she said.
Nearby, Denise Yuhas was also casting votes, and had an upbeat take on the contest's impact on the community.
"Fort Smith wins anyway," Yuhas said. "Everyone is focused on something positive."
Fort Smith was the first winner this year in the Kraft Celebration Tour, and the first from the North.
In the contest, 10 winning communities will each receive $25,000. From Aug. 16 to 25, two TSN hosts and a crew will visit each of the winning communities for a live SportsCentre broadcast. The daily voting will end for all communities in the running on July 19.
Walsh said hosting the TSN broadcast will be a community effort, involving an organizing committee made up of residents and representatives from the Town of Fort Smith.
"So it's a huge undertaking," she said, adding the day will include a community barbecue, family fun activities and lots of games, along with the TSN broadcast.
"One of the things they talked about us preparing is to think of a local sports hero or story that we want to share," Walsh said. "We have lots of those to choose from. Fort Smith is actually a pretty dynamic community. There's been lots of people that have come out of here and have been quite successful in different sports."
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